Children and Schools

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop loves to work with local schools, and we regularly help schools build libraries, recommend and order books for them, help to develop class reading plans, assist with literacy development, and support reading for children with learning difficulties. We also organise and invite schools to children’s events in our bookshop. Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop is home to Galway’s largest children’s book section, with thousands of titles for kids of all ages at half price or less, and we offer a special order service for school libraries.

Building libraries for children

The Librarian enjoying Saturday Story Time

We have lots of experience with school libraries, and are happy to help you set up, refresh, or invigorate school libraries on any budget. We understand that developing a library can be expensive, so we offer a 10% discount on all school library purchases. The majority of our children’s books are already half price, so budgets stretch a long way in Charlie Byrne’s.

Children’s section manager Mary can suggest appropriate titles for different classes, reading levels, and interests, and offers individual consultations for teachers and school librarians: alternatively, she is more than happy to simply curate a library for you or to assist with library development on a more continuous basis.

Charlie Byrne’s regularly works with primary schools, secondary schools, crèches, and play schools, as well as learning support centres working in speech therapy, ABA and literacy development, and we are happy to offer suggestions for individual children, classes, or schools.

If you are considering developing a library, would like to freshen up your current library, or want to discuss anything related to school libraries, please call us at 091-561-766 and ask to speak with Mary. Or, send Mary an email at info@charliebyrne.com.

Ordering Books

Charlie Byrne’s offers school libraries a 10% discount on all orders, and are happy to source any in-print books for your school. When books are in stock with our wholesaler, we can often provide orders in about one week, and we can also order non-stock items, which take a little longer to arrive. Drop us a line and we’ll check to see whether we have a book in our shop: if not, we’ll let you know roughly how long it will take to order. We are also happy to issue invoices for school orders and can deliver books within Galway City for free.

Saturday Story Time

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop is home to a very popular free story time held each week on Saturdays at 11am, in the relaxed and fun filled atmosphere of our children’s section. Our staff has shared stories with many Galway children already, and their vibrant, interactive storytelling style never fails to delight children (and adults!) and help them to engage with books. Throughout the year there are also themed story time sessions, including our very popular Teddy Bear’s Picnic, where teddy bears are invited to take part in the story telling process!

Story time is the perfect opportunity for kids of all ages who love books and those who are a bit more reluctant, to relax and enjoy funny and engaging stories!

If you would like to attend story time please feel free to join us at 11am on Saturdays. Charlie Byrne’s Story Time is also suitable for small to medium sized party groups, if you have a birthday party group and would like to attend story time as a group, don’t hesitate to contact Mary by calling 091-561-766, or email her at info@charliebyrne.com.

Special Needs Story Time

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop also offers a Special Needs Story Time service; although ALL children are welcome to our story time, for some children big crowds and lots of noise are not ideal for relaxing and enjoying stories. Charlie Byrne’s is proud to offer a special service for children with special needs and special needs classes from local schools, whereby children accompanied by their teachers are invited for a special story telling session tailored specifically to the needs of the children present.

If you would like to arrange a Special Needs Story Time, don’t hesitate to contact Mary by calling 091-561-766, or email her at info@charliebyrne.com to arrange a quiet day in the shop and conditions that are best suited to the children in your class.

World Book Week Readings

Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop loves sharing books with children, so we’ve extended World Book Day into World Book Week. Every year we host six days of children’s storytelling in our spacious, cheerful children’s section. Each day we invite two classes of children to visit our shop and share stories. In Charlie Byrne’s, World Book Week is all about making books fun, so we pull out all the stops and make every session a storytelling party. These sessions are always popular, and may book out, so it’s always best to book early.

If you’d like to bring your class to a storytelling session in Charlie Byrne’s during World Book Week or any other time, please contact Mary by calling 091-561-766, or email her at info@charliebyrne.com.

Recommendations and lesson assistance

We’re very experienced in recommending books for classes, and Mary is always on hand to assist teachers who’d like suggestions. She loves to find the perfect book for each individual class rather than simply recommending books by age, and is delighted to work with your class’s needs, interests, and abilities.

Mary is also happy to suggest books for individual children who might be struggling with reading, or are reading ahead of their class, and can provide support on a continuous basis by assisting with lesson plans and reading resources. She is also experienced in working with training teachers and new teachers to develop books around thematic weeks, or to tie in with class projects or specific class interests. Mary can help each and every child find a book that he or she can really enjoy – helping kids to build their confidence and take intellectual risks. Don’t hesitate to contact Mary at 091-561-766 or at info@charliebyrne.com if you’d like some ideas for your class, or if you’d like to talk about making reading accessible, engaging, and, most importantly, fun!

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